Wenatchee River Institute at Barn Beach Reserve

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Wenatchee River Institute at Barn Beach Reserve

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The Wenatchee River Institute is a nonprofit environmental learning center located in Leavenworth, WA

The Wenatchee River Institute (WRI) believes the greatest hope for the future is through connecting people, communities and the natural world. We engage thousands of learners annually through transformative environmental education on our campus in Leavenworth and across North Central Washington. Each experience is created to help participants understand their environment and discover the impact they can have in the world and their community.

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from all of us at WRI!

10/30/2026

Alpine Lakes Elementary 4th graders joined WRI for four half-day Field Days in September and October as Watershed Naturalists.

In week one, students played a learning game about salmon, explored the Watershed Model, and examined animal pelts and skulls to discover local wildlife. In week two, they became botanists identifying campus plants and chemists using a cabbage solution to test pH. During week three, students headed down to the river to study water quality and ecosystem health using chemical testing and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Finally, in week four, they listened to an Indigenous rock story and walked through the riparian zone, searching for salmon and observing signs of river health.

10/29/2026

Peak fall colors, hands-on science, and outdoor adventures!

Campers had an incredible time soaking up the autumn weather at Fall Camp last week! From exploring peak foliage to diving into nature-inspired projects, here is a look at what we got up to:

Nature Art & "Leaf Beings": Inspired by the book "Leaf Man", campers went on an exploration walk to collect fallen leaves and assemble their very own leaf creatures. Later, they traded traditional paintbrushes for natural items to create unique textured artwork.

Chromatography Experiment: Campers prepped leaves in a special solution to soak overnight. By Friday, they were able to reveal the hidden colorful pigments tucked beneath the surface of green leaves!

Campus Scavenger Hunt: On Friday, campers tackled a fall-themed scavenger hunt across the WRI campus, wrapping up with some hands-on stewardship by helping enthusiastically clear a large patch of invasive mullein.

Add in plenty of group games and unstructured free exploration, and it was a fall week to remember!

10/29/2026

Vale Elementary 4th grade students spent a full day of outdoor learning at WRI, splitting their time between terrestrial and aquatic explorations as Watershed Naturalists.

During their terrestrial lessons, classes played Oh, Salmon! to learn about salmon survival needs and explored a model of the watershed. Over at Barn Beach, they put engineering skills to the test by designing and testing solutions to mitigate slope erosion. For their aquatic explorations, students pulled on rubber boots to collect aquatic macroinvertebrates, learning how these organisms serve as bioindicators of water quality. As they walked along the Wenatchee River, they assessed key signs of ecosystem health and were even treated to the sight of salmon swimming upriver to spawn.

10/19/2026

We love seeing our neighbors enjoying the campus!

Reminder to give animals space.

10/16/2026

Autumn is in full swing at Wenatchee River Institute!

Looking for fun ways to connect with nature, learn about local wildlife, and get involved in our community this month? We’ve got an exciting lineup of events happening throughout October:

Oct 22 (7-8 PM): Red Barn Event: Recovering Endangered Plants — Join Tara Callaway (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to learn about local native plant species like the Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow!

Oct 24 (9 AM-1 PM): Make a Difference Day — Spend the morning outdoors helping us prepare our campus for sustainable land management and native planting!

Oct 25 (5:30-8:30 PM): Spooky Stroll & Moonlit Skies — Costumes encouraged! Take a guided nighttime woods walk, learn about nocturnal creatures, and stargaze through telescopes with the Wenatchee Valley Astronomy Club.

Oct 27 (7-8 PM): Red Barn Event: Range of Fire and Ice — Hear from author & naturalist David B. Williams on the human and natural history of Washington’s Cascades.

Important Note: WRI’s parking lot will be closed on Saturday, Oct 17th for the Fall Fungi Field Trip. Please plan ahead if you're visiting or heading to Oktoberfest!

🔗 Details & registration: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/event-calendar.html

10/13/2026

Did you join us for our 5th annual Sunset & S'mores, or wish you had? Catch all the highlights in our newest blog recap celebrating our incredible community, hands-on environmental education stations, and a special look ahead at nearly 20 years of impact here at WRI!

Relive the Magic Here: https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/about-us/blog.html/article/2026/10/13/recapping-our-5th-annual-sunset-s-mores-a-night-of-community-nature-and-resilience-

Photos by Dave Masuda and Angela Crampton

10/12/2026

Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we pause to honor and celebrate the enduring presence, culture, and contributions of Indigenous communities.

As we care for and learn on our campus, we recognize that the land the Wenatchee River Institute sits on is the ancestral homelands of the šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ (p'squosa or Wenatchi) people.

We offer a land acknowledgement as the first step to amplifying Indigenous voices. We stand as an ally to recognize their connection to the land and their rights to practice their culture on these sacred lands. The Wenatchee River Institute is committed to sharing this land acknowledgement and following up with other actions to educate and be respectful.

We invite you to learn more about the history of the land we occupy and read our full land acknowledgement by visiting our website: https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/about-us/our-campus.html

Address

347 Division Street, PO Box 2073
Leavenworth, WA
98826

Telephone

+15095480181

Website

http://www.wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/, https://wenatchee-river-institute.myspreadshop.com/

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